A recent study published in the journal Birth Defects Research has discovered that common cleaning products used in homes, hotels, and hospitals may lead to birth defects. The study was conducted on mice, and revealed that the animals didn’t even need to have direct contact with the chemicals. Just being in the same room as the disinfectants led to increased birth defect rates. [Read more…]

Pro Publica has published a lengthy article exploring how the medical establishment’s long-standing approach to “protecting” fetuses by restricting testing on pregnant women has resulted in a critical shortfall of knowledge. While the intention was mostly good — to protect women and babies from the kind of severe birth defects and other harm caused by thalidomide and other drugs in the 1960s and ‘70s (but also to protect pharmaceutical companies from legal liability for those injuries) — the result is less certain. By excluding women — and pregnant women in particular — from clinical trials, doctors have been forced into prescribing untried medications “off-label” to pregnant women, with results that can lead to serious negative health consequences for mothers, and birth defects for babies. [Read more…]

As reported by Law360, the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has consolidated in Massachusetts a number of lawsuits alleging that off-label promotion by GlaxoSmithKline of its anti-nausea drug Zofran for morning sickness led to serious birth defects. “The MDL panel found that 12 lawsuits, some of which are proposed class actions, warranted consolidation as they all involved common allegations that GlaxoSmithKline’s Zofran and its generic equivalent, Ondansetron … cause birth birth defects in children when their mothers ingest the drug while pregnant.” [Read more…]

Lieff Cabraser does not engage in client data-sharing. Our lawyers represent clients in individual, group, and class action lawsuits in federal courts nationwide. We have affiliations in specific cases with attorneys licensed to practice in almost every state court in the U.S. We also are affiliated with Rochon Genova, a law firm in Canada, and serve as co-counsel in lawsuits filed in Canada. This website may be considered an advertisement in certain jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. You should be aware that the Statute of Limitations (the deadline imposed by law within which you may bring a lawsuit) may severely limit the time remaining for you to file any potential claim.
Please read our disclaimer.